New Delhi: This year’s Durga Puja celebrations have been marked by unexpected, surprisingly invasive interlopers – Delhi Police officials and CRPF personnel.On the first day, at 11 pm at one pandal, police officers clambered onto the stage, interrupted the musician and put a stop to the performance. Among them was a Delhi Police sub-inspector in uniform.Saturday night saw what was deemed even more egregious. At about 11-11:30, 20 CRPF jawans strode into the B Block Chittaranjan Park pandal with lathis. This was as celebrations were tapering to an end. Those who remained were merely eating dinner or chatting among themselves when the forces entered.“It is completely unprecedented because for Durga Puja, permission is given till 12. We don’t keep anything open after that,” said Prodip Ganguly, executive committee and chairman of the cultural committee of the C.R. Park Kali Mandir Society. “Everything is done as per instructions and regulations, but still they interfere.”Durga Puja in C.R. Park is one of those characteristically Delhi celebrations. People from across the city and outside descend in droves, and pandal-hopping has become a much anticipated festival sport. The area turns into a microcosm of what a capital city should be – attendance cuts across state and community lines, and there are often as many non-Bengalis as there are Bengalis.Also read: The Refugee History Behind Durga Puja Celebrations in Delhi’s C.R. ParkPlanning is an elaborate affair that involves hundreds of volunteers and dozens of RWA members, and nothing is left to chance, which is why C.R. park residents and attendees are particularly incensed by the interruption. The unease brought on by the increased, seemingly arbitrary deployment is as parts of Delhi already look like they’re under siege, due to a series of protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).Meanwhile, Ganguly explained what goes into organising the festivities. There are a number of CCTV cameras, a disaster management committee that is headed by retired army officials, and about 150 volunteers who look after the management and overall infrastructure of the pandals. There is also a workshop on security. Entry and exit gates are monitored and barricaded.There are 10 public pujas which take place in C.R. Park, and permission is acquired online. Meetings are held in the auditorium with the Station House Officer, the local councillor and the District Magistrate.A cursory glance of the Pujo celebrations at C.R. Park gives us an insight into how a cultural heritage is preserved, recreated and reproduced over generations at a place quite far from its original birthplace. Credit: PublicResource.org/Flickr CC by 2.0“We take full responsibility for what happens in the pandals,” said Ganguly. “Sometimes, certain events do spill over. But no one gets disturbed since most people are devotees. They [the forces] shouldn’t use extra power to show that they are the authorities,” he said.What Ganguly also found concerning is the fact that police personnel came without any documents ordering the shutdown or any other sort of order. Videos also show streets lined with cops, who appear to be present in large numbers.Also read: 19 Dead, Books Bulldozed, North Kolkata Under Prohibitory Orders: West Bengal’s First Durga Puja Under BJPThe Delhi Police has issued a clarification, stating that “police intervention is only to ensure court rules on noise pollution. The organisers kept playing loud music past the permitted time, despite agreeing to the rules in earlier meetings”.The Wire reached out to the office of DCP (South) Anant Mittal via calls and email. This report will be updated in case a response is received.Former Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj also weighed in.“Before the Bengal Elections, PM Modi visited C.R. Park Durga Puja. Last year, BJP declared that L-G has extended pandal and loudspeaker timings till 12 midnight. Now, the Bengal elections are over. So this year, at 11 pm, police and paramilitary forces do this drama,” he said.Professor Biswajit Dhar, a C.R. Park resident, spoke about what seems to be the new normal – where even festivals are heavily surveilled.“It’s unnerving. We’re not used to seeing these guys anywhere and everywhere,” he said. “They just barged in.”